Ambrose Akinmusire

Ambrose Akinmusire
File:Ambrose Akinmusire.jpg Performing in Oakland, California in 2014
Background information
Born	(1982-05-01) May 1, 1982
Origin	Oakland, California
Occupation(s)	Musician
Years active	2000s – present
Labels	Blue Note/Capitol/Universal Records
Associated acts	Joni Mitchell Cold Specks Walter Smith III

Ambrose Akinmusire (ah-kin-MOO-sir-ee; born May 1, 1982) is an American jazz trumpeter.

In 2007, Akinmusire was the winner of both the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition, two of the most prestigious jazz competitions in the world.

In 2014 he won the North Sea Jazz Festival's Paul Acket Award.

Biography

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Akinmusire was as a member of the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble, where he caught the attention of saxophonist Steve Coleman who was visiting the school to give a workshop. Coleman hired him as a member of his Five Elements band for a European tour. Akinmusire was also a member of the Monterey Jazz Festival's Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

Akinmusire studied at the Manhattan School of Music before returning to the West Coast to take a master’s degree at the University of Southern California and attend the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles. In 2007, Akinmusire won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition and released his debut recording Prelude…To Cora on the Fresh Sound New Talent label. He moved back to New York City and began performing with Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, Esperanza Spalding, and Jason Moran, taking part in Moran’s innovative multimedia concert event In My Mind: Monk At Town Hall, 1957. It was also during this time that he caught the attention of Bruce Lundvall, President of Blue Note Records.

Akinmusire made his debut on the Blue Note label in 2011 with the album When The Heart Emerges Glistening, featuring his quintet of tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Justin Brown.

Akinmusire's third album, entitled The Imagined Savior is Far Easier to Paint, was released on March 11, 2014.

Akinmusire is featured on the last track of Kendrick Lamar's 2015 release To Pimp a Butterfly.

Selected discography

As leader

Year	Title	Label
2007	Prelude ... to Cora	Fresh Sound
2011	When the Heart Emerges Glistening	Blue Note/EMI Records
2014	The Imagined Savior is Far Easier to Paint	Blue Note/Capitol/Universal Records

As sideman

2012 Mette Juul "Moon on my Shoulder" jazz / singer and songwriter -

Year	Artist	Title	Genre	Label
2001	Steve Coleman	Resistance Is Futile	Jazz	Label Bleu
2002	Aaron Parks	Shadows	Jazz	KeynoteRecords
2003	Vijay Iyer & Mike Ladd	In What Language?	Jazz	Pi Recordings
2006	Walter Smith III	Casually Introducing	Jazz	New Talent Spain
2007	Alan Pasqua	Anti Social Club	Jazz	Cryptogramophon
2007	Sara Gazarek	Return to You	Jazz	Native Language
2007	Josh Roseman	New Constellations: Live in Vienna (Live)	Jazz	Accurate Records
2008	John Escreet	Consequences	Jazz	Posi-Tone
2008	Esperanza Spalding	Esperanza	Jazz	Heads Up
2008	Danny Grissett	Form	Jazz	Criss Cross Jazz
2009	Le Boeuf Brothers	House Without A Door	Jazz	lbjazz
2010	John Escreet	Don't Fight the Inevitable	Jazz	Mythology Records
2010	Walter Smith III	III	Jazz	Criss Cross Jazz
2010	David Binney	Barefooted Town	Jazz	Criss Cross Jazz
2011	David Binney	Graylen Epicenter	Jazz	Mythology Records
2011	Vince Mendoza	Nights On Earth	Jazz	Horizontal Jazz
2011	Chris Dingman	Waking Dreams	Jazz	Between Worlds
2012	Jack DeJohnette	Sound Travels	Jazz	Entertainment One
2013	Dayna Stephens	That Nepenthentic Place	Jazz	Sunnyside
2013	Gerald Clayton	Life Forum	Jazz	Concord

External links

• Ambrose Akinmusire Official Website
• All About Jazz: Monthly Guide, December, 2007
• Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition